I’ll be sharing how I got 5s on all my APs — all self-studied — and today, we’re starting with AP Comparative Government & Politics.

If you don’t know the difference between left-wing and right-wing, or if “liberal” vs. “conservative” still sounds like random vocabulary — trust me, that was exactly me.

I had zero political background.

If I could pull off a 5, so can you.

Let’s dive in!

📚 The Only Book I Used

Barron’s AP Comparative Government and Politics

That’s it. One book.

I bought it in 9th grade — just grabbed the thinnest one at the bookstore without even checking the contents. 😂

Luckily, it turned out to be a gem. It’s well-structured, concise, and covers everything you’ll actually be tested on.

💛 Why Not Ethel Wood’s “Big Yellow Book”?

Some of my friends used Ethel Wood’s thick yellow book — and I actually bought it too at one point. But honestly?

Results varied a lot.

That book is detailed, yes, but also bloated. Too much extra information that never appears on the exam.

I personally do better when I master one concise book instead of juggling two incomplete reads.

So I dropped the yellow one and stuck with Barron’s alone — no regrets.

💬 My advice: If you prefer clarity over clutter, Barron’s is all you need.